The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-03
WASHINGTON LETTER
tFrom our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON. D. G. May both, 1887.
The past week has been a very lively
and interesting one in Washington.
The National Drill has been the great
event of course, and the programme
was so arranged that each day of the
week had some important event of its
own, so that there was variety and in
terest all the time. Today Decoration
Day. is legal holiday. The Depart
ments are closed, and the Government
employees are free.
Unusually elaborate memorial ser.
vices have been arranged to take place
at Arlington, Soldiers Home cemetery,
the Congressional Cemetery and at
General Logan's tomb. The soldiers
who have participated in the National
Drill will join the Grand Army of the
Republic and the Army of the Potomac
in professions to these places, and
there will be music and oratory and
prayers and poetry and flowers.
The contests of the Drill are over,
but the Encampment does not break
up until this evening. The military
companies which went through the
ordeal OF the competitive drills, after
their duties were ended, gave them
selves up to fun, sightseeing and the
enjoyment of camp life. The soldiers
from Maine aud New Hampshire think
1t is pretty hot weather in Washington
and on some of the parades a few of
them were overcome by the heat each
day. But the lads from Texas and
Louisiana think it is very sold for May
and shiver and put ON their overcoats.
Altogether the health of the camp has
been good, considering there are so
many soldiers here from various eli
mates who have been subjected to
changes of different kinds and to un-
usual exertion and fatigue. Still the
hospital has proved an indespensability
OF the camp and there has been con
slant demand for the services of the
Red Cross Society, which has charge
of it.
When the rain and wind amounting
almost to cyclone struck the city of
tents on THE successive afternoons,
making havoc with camp paraphernala
of every kind and buffeting and drench-
ing the soldiers, the latter felt that
they We're having taste of the reali-
ties of military life on war basis they
had hardly anticipated. The rain
storms were quite disastrous, too, to
the finances OF the Drill. Besides un-
roofing the grand stand and causing
other damages which represented actual
outlay, they caused postponement of
the pyroraua performance on two
evenings, depriving the Drill Commit
tee OF receipts from that source, and
they also cut out portion of each days
program, as for instance the dress
parades, at five o'clock =. M. which
would have attracted many spectators.
General Greeley visited headquarters
shortly after the first storm and in re.
sPonse to some jocular reproaches
about the weather promised that it
should be good for the rest of the week.
The General of the Virginia Brigade
and the members of his staff expressed
themselves as much pleased with the
results of the epcampment so far as
their men were concerned. They said
it had been camp of instruction to
them, many of whom needed such ex-
perience. The strictest military disci-
pllne has been maintained and the
troops have been required to attend TO
every camp duty with as much fdeli-
ty as though they were actually in SER
vice in the field. One of the officers
also said that the encampment had
been o. great benefit to many OF the
officers They were good drill officers
in their own armies but knew little of |
the duties required of them in the field. |
Some Of the captains have had their